The Athletic Hockey Show - NHL Mock Draft 2026: Predicting all 32 first-round picks

Episode Date: June 17, 2026

We are just over a week away from the 2026 NHL Draft, and on today’s Prospect Series episode, the guys make all 32 first-round selections, projecting where top prospects like Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Chase Reid could actually end up going on draft night.Join us for The Athletic Hockey Show x FloHockey NHL Draft Live on YouTube for the entire first round of the NHL Draft on Friday, June 26 at 7:00pm ET.Hosts: Max Bultman, Corey Pronman, and Scott WheelerWith: FloHockey’s Chris PetersExecutive Producer: Chris FlanneryProducer: Chris FlanneryWatch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VTm9VjkFSubscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/hockeyshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series. Hey, everybody, Max Boltman here alongside the athletic Scott Wheeler and Corey Promon and Flohockey's Chris Peters for another episode of the Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series. A little bit of big news as we kick off the show today. We are doing a draft show. The Athletic is teaming up with Flohockey, and you can join us here on YouTube for the entire first round of the NHL draft on Friday, June 26th at 7 p.m. Also going to be live the next day immediately following the news. draft to recap everything. Make sure you subscribe to us here on YouTube so you don't miss it. But yeah, we'll be live for the whole first round. It's going to be great. I'm really excited

for what it has in store, guys. Today, we have another big project. We are doing our annual show mock draft. Remember, we are predicting the first round here. This is what we think is going to happen next Friday, June 26th. You know, we'll see how many we get right. But I'd take three or four, honestly, based on how these tend to go. This year, maybe we're shooting for five or six this year. We'll set the bar high for ourselves. And the first pick in this one, Chris Peters, with the Toronto Maple Leafs goes to you. Yeah, how about it? Right. Nice and easy. Thanks for letting me bat lead off here, gentlemen. I'm not going to beat around the bush. I think, you know, based on the totality of evidence that we have at the moment, I would say that it is going to be Gavin McKenna

as the number one pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs. You know, there is some reporting out there that he was letting teams know that, hey, I think I'm going to Toronto. or you know, I am going to draw. And that seems to be the case. So what does this mean for the Maple Leafs? Obviously, I think if you're a team that has a core already, this is probably a scenario where you can bring this player in. He doesn't have to be the savior of the franchise.

And that's probably the best case scenario for Gavin McKenna. I do think they're going to be growing pains. I think there's going to be things like he'll probably be in the lineup right away next year. But I think you're going to have to be patient. But incredible skill. the most dynamic player in this class and just really that offensive aptitude that he has is big.

I also think if you're the Maple Leafs, it's really hard for you to pass on this player, given the risk that exists elsewhere, take the player with the most offensive upside. I think that this argument I hear a lot is, this is the common guy, this is the guy you have to take, whatever. I think they just love the player.

I think they're just big believers in the player. Like that's been the understanding I've gotten. is I think they just, they buy the arguments we've made all year about whether you can go for or against. I think they just think this is the 100 point potential guy. And I'm not saying they're going to take him, but that's been my understanding. Yeah. All right. Well, then with the second pick, Corey, for San Jose, that's you. I think if McKenna goes one, I think it's between Yvars Stenberg and Chase Reed here at two. I don't know which way they go. My gut is Reed. I think that. I think that's, they go for the defenseman here,

the guy who could run the power play. They, you know, I think we like, also like Sam Dickinson. Sam Dickinson, you know, didn't have an amazing year this year. I don't think you can look at Sam Dickinson and be like he's our number one, number two of the future, no doubt.

Like there's a lot of work to do still here on this blue line. I think if it's close, and I do think it's close, I think they go with the D-Man here. They get a little bigger. They get a pillar for the, on the blue line,

and I think they leave the draft very happy with him. All right. So top of the draft, we've got number one, Gavin McKenna to Toronto, number two, Chase Reed, to San Jose. Number three for Vancouver, that's my slot here. And following Dran's reporting here, it's been really striking how much Caleb Malhotra buzz there is. And that precedes the hiring of his father as the head coach. If anything, if anything, if anything, if anything, if anything, in that order. But I do think, you know, where Vancouver is written, it almost sounds like that wanting to pick Malhotra might have been an obstacle to hiring Manny Malhotra, if anything else in that order. But I do think, you know, where Vancouver, is in their rebelled. He makes a lot of sense for him. Evar Stenberg is a fantastic player, but I think when you're picking on the top three and you're this early on in the process, the value of a two-way center who's on the trajectory. I think that's the biggest part with Malhotra is the trajectory that he's on of improvement. And you can really see if this keeps

going in that direction, he's a really valuable player. Number four, that's Scott, and that is the Chicago Blackhawks. If the draft plays out this way, and I had a sneaking suspicion that this was the way that it was going to go, one through three here, I think, and they won't be at the draft. Kyle Davidson and his team won't be at the draft because it's a decentralized format, but this is a dance to the draft stage sort of event here for the Blackcocks. I think Stenberg is exactly what they need, exactly what they would be looking for.

We've talked about it. I've said it again and again. They need someone who can elevate Connor Bedard rather than him having to elevate everybody else. Stenberg is the player in this class, assuming that Gavin McKenna goes one, obviously. Stenberg is that sort of winger. He's that caliber of a player. I think he's going to be a point per game player in the league. I think he's a winning player at that sort of level.

And he is exactly sort of what they need. So I'll take Evar here. And I'd be pretty surprised if Stenberg's here, if he's not their selection. It kind of feels like the chalk scenario that's emerged is McKenna Reed, Malhotra Stenberg, and the top four, and then there's deviation after that. What do you guys think would be the most likely? likely team to deviate from that scenario. If that would happen,

that's what my thoughts are too, San Jose. They take either Stenberg or they take a defenseman not named Reed. I feel like, I feel like we all kind of presumed Reed. I've heard Verhof there too, honestly. Like I think there's a lot of interest there. Like, um,

I think we all kind of presumed read. I have not been able to get that firmly that that's their guy kind of things. And I think that's very similar to the conversations we had about San Jose. this time last year. Coming out of the combine, and I've just putting the finishing touches on my scout survey now as well, and just in speaking to people, they seem to, the sharks seem to be the team in the top five or six that the league is having the toughest time getting a true sort of pulse on. I think they, I've heard they, you mentioned Verhof. I've heard they like Carls. Like, I think there's, there's three or four names there that they, that they're considering.

All right. Number five, we're back around to you, Chris. That's the New York Rangers. Yeah, and I think this is a tough one because I think they would probably really hope that one of those forwards drops, you know, in this range, especially if it's a center. I think Malhotra would definitely be, you know, a guy that they want here. So it makes it a little more difficult. But I think, you know, as you kind of look around and see the different things, there's a number of players that I think are in this range, Verhof, Karl, Smith's, like you're talking about the premium defenseman. in this particular instance, it's been tough to know exactly who they would prefer

in that group. I'm going to go with Carl's in this case. There is some, you know, he didn't participate in the combine. There have been some teams talking about that a little bit just because I believe, you know, was an upper body injury, concussion kind of situation. Teams are kind of monitoring that.

So I do think that there is something that they're looking at. I don't think, you know, in talking to some other sources that there's a huge amount of concern about that. but most complete defenseman, I think, you know, you look at a guy like, you know, Charlie McAvoy, I think that the Rangers, you know, Charlie McAvoy grew up a Rangers fan,

even though he's from Long Island. I think they would love a type of player like that. I do think that that would be Carl's in this case, that he's the most likely to kind of fill that. So to me, that makes the most sense as the logical, you know, premium defensemen available to them. But I could see any one of those guys in that mix. and see where it goes from there.

All right. Onward to top five, number one at Toronto, Gavin McKenna, number two, to San Jose, Chase, Reed, three to Vancouver, Caleb Malhotra, four to Chicago, Yvars Senberg, five to the Rangers, Carson Carls. That's your top five. Corey, where does that leave the Calgary Flames at six?

I think it's fair to say the most pressing, critical need for the Calgary Flames right now is a center. You know, I think Caleb Alhotra getting all the way to six, seems highly unlikely. But I think they're reassured by how he looked at the men's world championships. And they take Vigo Bjork here. They could point right to Logan Stancoven, who just want a Stanley Cup and say, we think he can be that.

And I think they are very happy to get a potential top six enter of the future here at the sixth overall pick. My one concern with Bjork here, and I do think Bjork, based off of how they've drafted in the past, Bjork is probably a player. that that scouting staff loves. Like, that would not surprise me in the least. My one wonder is with Cole Reschney and Ethan Wittenbach and Colin Potter, and you go down the list of the forwards that they have up front.

It's a very, very small group. I agree. And if those guys were, like, high picks and premium guys, that'd be one thing. But, like, other than Reshney, like, Potter's not a substantive player. Like, you know, like, it's Wittenbach maybe he's going to play. like I and now I think you look at parrack too now in this and it's it is a small group even gridden is not big yep no it's all I think your point is perfectly fair but I think like if you look at their centers it's it's just like a wasteland essentially and I think you

even look at reshny and it's not I think he could play center in the NHL is it are we all sitting here guaranteeing that though like I you know so I think but I get what you're saying I would wonder if Carlos goes fine if he ends up being six just because I feel like, one, they need a really good defense. And I do think there is some pressure to take Western Canadian kids or take Canadian kids in that market. Well, I think in a lot of Canadian markets, there's that. There's that pressure right now with how hard it's been to keep their star players. Yeah.

And I will say that the post-combine buzz about Bjork has been palpable in terms of how things went, how teams feel about him. you know, the consensus is growing that, you know, in some cases, he is the number two center, you know, the number one center ahead of Malhotra for some people at this point, which was not really a common opinion a few months ago. And so it's just been really remarkable to watch his rise and the respect that he's garnered over the last year. What's interesting about that?

Like, if he's the number one center in the class, how do you compare him head to head with Stenberg? You've seen them, you guys have seen him at so many events where they've been at the the same line in many cases at these events. Like head to head, how would you compare Bjork and Stenberg? He hasn't been far off Stenberg in terms of World Juniors. And like when we've seen, even going back to the World Junior Summer showcase last summer, like Bjork has has stood toe to toe to him from a perform.

That doesn't mean the projection is the same. But from a performance side by side, they've been comparable when they've played together. I think Stenberg is more skilled, not significantly, but I think there is more skill, more natural offense and finish, definitely more finishing there. God bless Vigel, Bjork and his seven misbreakaways in a row. Still won the goal.

Yes, I think Bjork is obviously, he's a center. He's more competitive, more details, more two-way there. And Stenberg's about two inches taller. So I think you're looking, that's why the pro-projection gives you a little bit more reassurance there. All right, that takes us to number seven in Seattle.

And Seattle has a board that looks like exactly the kind of board I think Seattle should want right now. They've used so many high picks on forward, specifically on centers. I think it's a smart way to use high picks, but at some point you've got to take a high level D. And so to me, this comes down to Albert Smiths, Daxon, Rudolph, and Keaton Verhoff. I'm going to go with Smiths for them here in this case. Just, you know, the way we've talked about Smiths in this pot, I think it's the kind of D that you can really build around.

I also think there's an advantage toward the pro readiness here for a Seattle team that could use the D getting there a little bit sooner than maybe on the Rudolph end. So I'll say Smith's for the for the cracking. I will say we haven't done the draft show the last couple of years, but I was surprised when they took Jake O'Brien last year. And if we're doing the draft show this year, which we are, my eyes will pop out of my head if the Seattle Cracken don't take a D here. Or they take Bjork. Yeah.

Yeah. That's the thing. If Bjork falls all the sudden, knowing how they have picked, it's like, oh, but. Well, that's how it felt in the Berkeley cat year. There was all those D that year. And they took cat and you're like, I don't know that they really needed him, but yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, on to number eight here, the Winnipeg Jets, Scott.

Well, I think now it becomes a bit, not a, not a, not a, I don't think any of us are surprised to see Keaton Verhoff here, but I think relative to where we were all at on him entering this season and where the consensus seemed to be with him entering this season as the, as the, frankly, the number for a stretch there, and not for a short stretch either is the number one D prospect in this class. I think this is where that sort of road starts to end. Like I can't imagine Verhoff getting past Winnipeg and Florida here. I do think to Corey's point with Calgary, I think you're having the same conversation about the need to keep guys long term. If you're the Winnipeg Jets, they've actually done a good job with Helibuck and sort of walking up some others to long-term deals. But Verhof, they need that sort of cornerstone prospect. I don't think it matters what that looks like.

I know in sort of speaking with some people in Winnipeg, the sense in that market seems to be that they have to get a center here, but I don't think you take Tyne and Lawrence over a Dexon-Rudoff or Akitin-Verhaef here, and I don't think the other two centers get to them. And it's not as though Salmonson and Sasha Bumetian are pillar pieces of a future blue. I know they're very high on Salmonston, and Salmonston had a great, great year last year and is a very good player. But he's not in terms of caliber of prospect and equal to Akeen-Varhafer or a deck.

and Rudolph, and I think Verhoff specifically makes a lot of sense if he's available here for the Jets. All right. On the number nine, that's the Florida Panthers, Chris. Yeah, you know, I think this is probably one of the picks that we would most likely see that could be in play here. I think any team that sees what's available, especially if it's like a Daxon Rudolph, one of the premium defensemen that's there, they would take that player. I'm actually going to go in a different direction than Daxon Rudolph in this specific instance. I think if you're Florida, you have a little bit of time and and you have a little bit of, you know, room to kind of play. I think like Albert Smiths would be a great, you know,

a short-term kind of guy that could be there, but he's not available now. So I'm going to go a little bit off the board and a player that I think is going to continue to rise and be a topic of a conversation. I'm going to go with Wyatt Cullen at number nine here. The buzz on Cullen has been growing a little bit. He has, you know, in a draft that lacks a ton of premium skill, he has that. I think if you are Florida, you've, feel like you have a core and it's kind of nibbling around the edges here.

This is a player that could potentially boost your scoring, which I think would be attractive to them. I think Rudolph is absolutely a possibility here. I think any of those defensemen would be. But Wyatt Cullen is the name that I keep hearing more and more as one that may go higher than we anticipate because I think a lot of teams do want to make the bet on his skill and his growth and all of the things that we've seen from him in the last few months. I had a scout in my survey just yesterday, text me, like, is it crazy to think that we could have Wyatt Cullen in our, like, six or seven spot on our board?

Like, I think that's the conversation that some teams are having about the player here. It's also a little different flavor, Chris, from kind of how Florida's been built, but maybe in a way that works, right? Maybe you need that kind of skill infusion to go with all these, like, you know, physical, you know, playoff style guys. Right. Yeah. I think that's kind of the point for me. is that, you know, it is, they need some more dynamic talent into that mix, you know, and just that, that, that increase the opportunities to increase scoring in the way that a lot of people

believe Wyatt Cullen could potentially increase scoring. Like, a lot of people view them as like, hey, this, like, there's a, there's a lot of projecting going on. Yeah. But if he could be a top line player, you know, he could potentially be a top line player. How did you guys hear how his Combine went out of curiosity. Um, I didn't hear any like anything negative, particularly in particular. I did. That's why I'm asking. Yeah.

I think some teams are. Okay. I think it's just like, I don't think like he, I think he rubs some people the wrong way, but I think it's just like minor details. But I never got. I, I do think nine, 10, 11, he's in play there. I was just that was that was, that was one. I got flagged out coming out that like, I think just the way he goes about

business could rub people the wrong way sometimes. I will say to Daxon, typically teams in the 9-10 range aren't taking guys out for dinner at the combine, but Daxon went for dinner with two teams, and it was Seattle and Florida. So I think they've kind of circled that Daxon might be there for them. And I think they're at least doing their due diligence on Rudolph. All right. Let's go to 10 at Nashville. We'll take a break after this, Corey.

It feels like it's being laid up here for Daxon Rudolph to be the pick to Nashville. I think Malté Gossifsen is very much in play here for them, and just in part because that's the kind of defensemen they tend to target, the big heavy player. I mean, I've compared them to Matthias Haccombe. Matias Echcombe was a pick by the National Predators. But I look at Tanner Mollandik, I look at Cameron Reed. Like, they have these two-way guys, and they have a lot of two-way guys.

They need somebody who can score a goal. Like there's a lack of high-end skill. in this organization. So I'm going to go ahead and give them Dex and Rudolph here at the 10th pick. You may have noticed the World Cup is here in North America and the Athletics Podcast Network has something for everyone. You can wake up with the totally football show from L.A. You can dive deep into the biggest talking points of the day

with the Athletic FC podcast and watch the TIFO podcast fool around on their daily live streams in the afternoon. All of our shows are free to watch or listen to on your favorite platform. Enjoy the World Cup. All right, we're back, fellas. and we're through the top 10, just to recap here. Number one, to Toronto, Gavin McKenna, San Jose at 2, Chase Reed. At 3 for Vancouver, Caleb Malhotra.

At 4, it's Evar Stenberg, going to Chicago. 5, Carson Carls to New York, the Rangers, that is. 6, the Calgary Flames take Vigo Bjork. 7, the Seattle Cracken, Albert Smith. 8 is Keaton Verhoff to the Winnipeg Jets. 9, the Florida Panthers, Wyatt Cullen, and 10, the Nashville Predators, Daxon, Rudolph. That is the top 10.

And it leaves St. Louis in a really interesting spot here. They have two picks in the next five here at number 11 and number 15. To me, this debate comes down to do you want to take the last of kind of the big group of defensemen, depending on how you view Maltigustinson and Ryan Lynn, if you view them as distinct or not, or do they go with one of the forwards, whether that be the center, Tylin Lawrence, who I would say is probably the next best center available, one of the wingers. The bet here I would take, though, if I'm St. Louis, even though I think D is kind of the scarce position, I wonder, you look at the teams behind them. And New Jersey certainly does not need another young defenseman in their system.

The Islanders just took Kishon Acheson a year ago. And I would say Gustafson probably projects to a pretty similar role as Acheson. Even the Columbus Blue Jackets just took Jackson Smith. So I wonder if the St. Louis Blues roll the dice here. And if they want to get figure one at each, one forward to one D, I'm going to say they take Ethan Belches, the power winger in the 11 spot and roll the dice and see what happens at 15. My one hiccup with them taking a winger is just that, like, you've got Jimmy Snuggaroot. You've got Justin Carbone. Like, they've used some assets there.

They feel to me like a team that's kind of the start. Yeah, they feel to me like a team that's kind of the start of the Tynan Warrant's, the Tynne and Warren's conversation. Like, I think they need that center. Dvorisky's a good player, but. it probably depends on whether you're keeping Thomas or not and if you're keeping Robert Thomas and you're going forward with Thomas Dvorsky is the one too, certainly you'd love to have Lawrence. He's a good player too. But I still think, and I've made this argument before. I know that you just mentioned a bunch of the wingers, maybe neighbors, but does any really have the same profile as belches? And certainly the, the rarity of the size skill combo, I think it makes this a valid use of the pick. Yeah. And I don't think he's going to last much longer either. So I think I think. I think he's going to last much longer either. So I think. I think. think that's a fair role of the dice there, especially since, you know, they've had some of their deep prospects really pop, especially Adam Eurecheck last year. I thought was one of the best players in

all the CHL last year. So, yeah, I think that's, that's, I have a zero issue with that one. All right, 12 is the devil, Scott. Yeah, I think there's a very, um, real chance that we have multi-Gustinson going too low here. And yet I can't imagine the devils with their logjam on the blue line, of young blue liners taking a D here. Like they just feel to me like they're going to be a team that takes one of the forwards. I could see them being all over Wyatt Cullen and his skill level. I could see them taking Belchez if he's here. With those guys gone, my attention turns to Tynan Warrants.

He's not ecohesier, but there are some similarities in terms of style of player, why you like the player, the work ethic, the two-way, the sort of up and down the ice skating. So I'll take, I'll take Tyne and Lawrence here. Again, I think Belchese and Cullen might be the better fit, and I think one of them is probably here. And I do think we maybe have Multigasturson going a little low here, but I like Lawrence for them. They need a forward up front in that pool. Can you explain the logjam? It's Hughes, Nemich, and who else?

Selyev. I mean, that's fair, but, you know, is he going to play for sure this year? even like they've got to make a decision on on shamus casey like i think shamus casey is playing for multiple organizations in the league at this point they've got to make a decision on uh... on uh... mitch maybe if you're moving it if you've made the decision that you're moving simonemich then you you sort of recalibrate here and a player like gustavson maybe becomes interesting but salliav's coming like they've they've they've got hues locked up long term like kovicevich well i guess i look at that i think that casey's like a

French NHL prospect at this point for me. And I think Gus Ossin is the same level as Nemich and Saleh. So, like, it's, like, I don't know. That's a lot of player to go past. Like, I think he's significantly ahead of Lawrence. I know you don't view it the same way. But for me, like, like that, if I was in that scat room, I'm cringing hard if we're going past him to give, you know, you went, you're at the U18s.

One guy was one of the three to four best players there. And the other guy was, like, pretty ordinary. Like, that would be tough for me. you've been high on Lawrence throughout this process though like it's not yeah he's great player but I think this is his range

he's gonna go on the early teens here that sort of 10 to 15 range I think is right where Lawrence is going to land he's another guy I heard got beat up pretty good at the combine like I'll be I think he goes teens but like I don't know he's the one guy from our top group that I feel like

has the biggest potential to to plummet um and but but I could easily see you know New Jersey taking the, taking the chance here as well. Yeah, I mean, because I considered Gustafson at 9 for Florida as well.

Like, you know, I feel like, you know, the natural replacement long term for Seth Jones. And it's like other things like that. But, you know, 10 in Nashville too.

Yeah, I think there's a, like, Malti could go anywhere in here. And it wouldn't, it wouldn't shock me. So, you know,

and I think that's the important thing with these, with these mock draft picks is that we're talking about, you know, fractions of differences. And a lot of teams might have. have fractions of differences on their list. But the Lawrence question and how he ebbs or flows here, like really could reshape the first round because I think that there are teams that want to like that center.

And I'm just curious to see, you know, because of the lack, like really once you get outside of 13, 14, 15, you're starting to be like, you know, we might just have to bite the bullet here if we're not there. Maybe there's some things that we don't like to try to get that. So we'll see where that goes. All right, Chris, this one goes to you for the Islanders. Yeah, and this one's really tough too because, like, I mean, I think like looking at the, you know, obviously they have a lot of left shot defensemen already that are pretty good. And so that's, that makes it tough.

But I think like in, in the situation that they're in, I think the gap between a guy like Multi Gustafson and the rest would be too much for them. I think that, you know, so multi-Gustifson would be my pick here. And the thing is, like, you know, while there is a similarity in profile to what they have, I just think that multi kind of probably gives you that guy that you can develop into a stopper. I don't think that's what Kishon-H-S-N is going to be. You know, and I don't think that's what Matthew Schaefer is going to be. And so I think that, you know, you might have some one of these guys playing their offside in the top four. Gustafson is a guy that's super versatile, super mobile.

Now you suddenly have a core of defensemen that I feel is like the makings of a championship core. So I'm going with Malti there. I like it. I mean, my gamble was that I think those teams in between the St. Louis picks, like you look at what they have. But there is there does come a point where it's just, and you've seen Buffalo build this way. I mean, how many left shot did is Buffalo have? And they have one of the best blue lines in the NHL now. It works.

You can play them on their offside, and it's just good to have the best blue line possible. Yeah, yeah. And like to me, like, I do think that the gap begins really at 13 here. And I feel like the players that we're picking, there's a significant difference between them and where we're at. So it's just basically a best, like New York is in a position where it's like we just have to take the next, the last best guy. Yeah. Corey, 14 to Columbus. Oscar Hemming.

They draft the big power winger out of BC with good skill level Guy projects to be a top six hard to play against type I think they're happy with him in this range I think we're talking about this next group of players I think a lot of teams have Hemming

in this second group of players he might be the last name but he's part of the group and Columbus is happy to get him here at the 14th spot Yep and he certainly fits with some of the big scoring forwards Columbus has had to

it seems like there's a I mean managerial change but it still feels like an ethos there. 15 for St. Louis. So the gambit to get the D to fall doesn't work. But you guys talked about the center with Lawrence at 11. They'll pivot to a different center here and take Oliver Suvanto. You know, we'll see about the skating.

I think that's probably the big question here. But this looks like a player who's going to be able to log important matchups for an NHL team at some point, Corey. Yep, I agree. I think you're going to see a run of centers here. Lawrence Command, Savanto. Like they're going to go, I think, bang, bang, bang here in the teens. All right. Does that run continue at 16 for Washington, Scott?

It does. The Washington Capitals are going to take Alexander Command here. They've drafted a ton of wingers. I don't think that necessarily precludes them from using one of these two picks on a player like an Adam Novotny, who I think has a chance to go in this range. But I bet you with one of those two picks, they take a center. It's the most glaring sort of an area of need in their pool. and this is an organization that or a range in the draft for the organization that makes a lot of sense.

So I don't think command lingers long. He's another player who has some definite momentum, not just coming out of U18 worlds, but coming out of the combine. Sounds like he impressed some people, and I think he goes in this range here, and the capitals make a lot of sense. Honestly, if I was the bet of those three next centers, Lawrence Savanto Command, I would bet command goes first. I do think command goes ahead of Suvanto at this point for sure. I think, yeah. He's such an interesting player and absolutely has. I think he started to ascend into that territory of like, you know, I say those 13 guys,

if there's a 14th, it's command. So, yeah. So I guess that brings it to me, doesn't it, Max? Yes, it does. Los Angeles Kings. Number 17, L.A. This is a bit of a trickier one because I think that there's. a lot of different options that they have here, guys that could make a lot of sense.

The one that I'm going to go with here is Maddox Dajunay. There are a wide range of opinions on this player. And the thing is, is like, you know, is he a center? Is he a wing? What ultimately is he going to be? Well, he's six foot four with skill. He has some things. You know, you look at what L.A. gave up in Liam Green Tree.

I think, personally, I like Maddox D'A., better. I think he's a good replacement for that player. I think you can fit on either side. Decisions can be a little bit questionable at times, but six foot four guys with his hands and his shot, I think are really attractive, especially in the middle of the draft. So I'm going with Maddox-Dajunay for L.A.

Do they kind of need him to be a center? I mean, they lose Copatar. It's a pretty thin pipeline. It feels like they need him to be a center. You'd certainly like him to be. I mean, like I think that, and I think that's the thing is you're taking the chance here on a player that has a,

has center experience and saying, all right, where can we develop that player? And that's one of the reasons why I feel comfortable putting him in this position because, you know, there's some development that needs to happen. But it does sound like he's heading back to the QMJHL last year after flirting with the idea of going to college. So we'll see exactly where he ends up and how soon. And it does feel like they would be very excited if one of Savanto-Larence command gets to 17. That kind of feels like a natural fit there. 100%.

But as we all learn over the years, those centers in D, they go quick. They go quick. Real quick. All right, Corey, Washington back on the clock at 18. I think they take JP Herbert there, and I know it's another wing. But some of their wings haven't worked. Like, I think Paris Check, for example, like, we're not really sure what he's going to become. And I think you look at Hurlbert and the goal scoring he has and the high-end skill, I think that's still a guy.

They're excited to add to their. system, potential, you know, middle six, top six power play type of guy here, top score in the Western League this year. And they take a shot and they roll the dice on his skill. All right. J.P. Hurlbert at 18 to the capitals. At 19 for Utah, Utah is the team that has everything. I think they have young forwards.

They have centers. They have D. They even have a goalie on the way in Michael Harabal. There's not an obvious need here for them. But how about Ilyamorzov is a guy who played college hockey? at a really young age, has a lot of projectable traits. Feels like he could slot in to a middle six at some point and be a nice role player there for a system. I think that's where you kind of beef up there is his size in the middle of the lineup.

All right. Number 20, Scott is the San Jose Sharks. I'm going to take Ryan Lynn here and double down, double down on D for the San Jose Sharks. I think Lynn goes late teens. I think he goes in one of those three or four picks that we just went through here. but if he doesn't, I think he, the idea of adding both Chase Reed and Ryan Lynn to that back end and suddenly having Lynn Dickinson and Reid as sort of your pillars to build around on the back end, I think you'd be very, very excited if you're Mike Greer and the San Jose Sharks.

All right. So we are through 20 picks here. One, Toronto, Gavin McKenna, two, San Jose Chase Reed, three Vancouver, Caleb Malhotra, four of the Chicago Blackhawks, Evar Stenberg, five Carson Carls to the range. Rangers, six Vigo Bjork to Calgary, seven Albert Smiths to Seattle, eight Keaton-Varehof to Winnipeg, nine, Wyatt Cullen to Florida, 10, Daxon, Rudolph to Nashville, 11, Ethan Belches to St. Louis, Tyne and Lawrence goes to New Jersey at 12, multi-Gustifson to the Islanders at 13. Columbus gets Oscar Hemming at 14, Oliver Suvanto to the Blues at 15. The capitals take

Alexander Command at 16, the Kings get Maddox-Dajunay at 17, Capitals back on the clock at 18, take J.P. Hurlbert, the Utah mammoth, take Ilya Morozov, and the San Jose Sharks with Ryan Lynn. Let's take a quick break right there. We'll come back, finish out the first round. All right, we are back and back on the clock at number 21. Well, actually on the clock for the first time at number 21 is the Philadelphia Flyers. Yeah, I think this is a challenging place if you're Philly, you know, in terms of what you're looking at and what's available. You know, there's a lot of good, you know, good skill players. I think that that's something that they're going to be looking at is is to continue to build a little bit more skill in this group.

I think there are ways to do that from the blue line with Tommy Blile. There's ways to do that at Forward with a number of players. It ultimately came down to guys like Elton Hermanson and Liam Ruck in this spot. And I'm going to go with Liam Ruck. I'm going to go. And I think he's definitely got some late, you know, pop in terms of, you know, people that are starting to be a little bit more sold on Liam. And they're certainly more sold on Liam.

than they are on Marcus, and we'll see if ultimately they end up in the same organization. Liam's got that compete. He's got that motor. He's got the ability to kind of do some of those things. I think that there's a really high level of hockey sense there, which is going to speak to, you know, Danny Breyer staff. I just feel like he's a guy, you know, why not, you know, at that point. But at the same time, you know, I think there's a lot of various options. I just think that Philly really needs to focus on continuing to build skill.

All right. Number 22, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Corey. Their manager, Kyle Dubus, has talked about getting bigger, getting harder to play against. I think the one guy in this draft left in the spot, that really is that is Gleb Pugachev from Torpedo, 6-3, one of the most physical players in the draft, also having, you know, a good talent base. I think there's some reservations of taking a Russian in the 20s, even though I think Pukachev is going in the 20s because he hasn't played in any major tournaments. Pittsburgh's a pretty video-heavy team.

I think they would have watched a lot of him by now. I think they'll feel comfortable taking him at 22. All right, Boston at 23. I look at the Bruin system, and I think the player here that I like is Jack Hextall, but I look at their system and I see centers there. And I really don't see a whole lot of defensemen. And so I look at that and I say, do they have to kind of maybe you're dipping a little deeper into the class?

I don't know if it's a true best player available, but William Hawkinson. Scott, Chris, or any of you convinced that James Higgins is for sure a center in the NHL? I think he's going to be at his best down the middle. Like, I think if you are going to maximize James Hagen's as a player, it will be as a center. It doesn't guarantee that he's a center. But for those who are listening on audio, Chris shook his head. Yeah. Yeah.

So I, I'm less convinced of it. I think, you know, I almost see him in kind of a Will Smith mode. You know, that's kind of where where I have some feeling on that. But to that point, too, like, obviously, like Matt Plotra, I think they thought was going to be a guy that didn't, has not panned out that way. It sounds like, you know, he could potentially be a guy that isn't around. So, but like, you know, when I, when I mocked him doing another mock draft, I did mock Hextall there. But I think Hawkinson has, is another guy that could go a little bit earlier than maybe he's listed on a lot of the public list for a lot of the reasons that you mentioned. I do think that that's a distinct possibility for Boston.

in that range. The people who like Hawkinson will like him a lot to Bishel and Bishel went right around this range. I think he's smaller than Bishel at the same age, but that's like the same idea as like why he'd go over this high. Yeah. Very Bruins kind of traits too, right? I mean, can you see a little Nikita Zadarov rhyme here? Yeah, it's fair. Also smaller. I think, yeah, I think not just because of the London Knights connection, but I've thought a little bit and Zadorov went 18 or 16. Him and Stanley both went like 16, 18, but I've thought a lot about Maxime Sokolovsky, who's obviously a London night, similar to Zadora of Russian kid out of London, that both very raw at that age. And I think we're very, very much, frankly, I think a couple

picks ago we were into the Maxim Sokolovsky range as well. Yeah, which, yeah, there's definitely some Sokolovsky first round buzz for sure. I think. Go ahead to give him to Vancouver. I'm not going to give them to Vancouver. There are a number of teams. If I would, if our draft order had worked out differently, I would have taken him to a couple of other teams here. But no, the Vancouver Canucks, I'm not going to take him. I am going to take Adam Novotny. I don't

think Novotny is necessarily here. Like, I get the sense in talking to a few people over the last couple of weeks, both for my surveys and for my upcoming sort of final mock. I get the sense that Novotny has a real good chance to actually go in the sort of late teens, early

20s here. But if he doesn't, and we're still in the early 20s at 24. If he doesn't, I think the Canucks, that sort of powerful, strong, skating, ability to score up and down the ice, going to play for you, winger. I don't think anybody doubts whether Navatni is going to be a player. There's maybe some doubts a little bit about hockey sense there, but the rest of his game is very well liked. And I think this will be his range. All right. That puts us on to number 25, Chris, the Seattle Cracken, second pick of the night. Yeah, I think in this instance at this range, they don't let they don't, they don't worry about having already picked a defenseman in the draft. They pick another one. They go with Tommy Blyle here. And I think Blile is, you know, he's got a lot of great numbers. And then on top of that, he's one of the best skaters in this draft. I think that that that's going to be a player that they're going to look at. I do think that, you know, based on some of the buzz that I've heard, you know, like I, similar to Scott, I was looking at Adam Novotny at each of my last two picks as a real strong possibility for either of those teams.

Um, in the end, I think that, you know, Seattle going with Blile here, it, if you do get Albert Smiths as we have in this, you know, I think you'll, you can supplement that with, with a true puck mover, a transporter, a guy that is, you know, really only just scratching the surface, I feel like of where he can go. Um, and I think that you would have a, a lot of people excited to come away with two higher end defensemen from this class, um, if you're Seattle. All right, 26. Corey, the Rangers. They're going to take Jack Hextall here, projected third line center in the NHL. I think for me, he's right with command in Savant and Lawrence in terms of caliber of prospect, two-way guys, six, six and a half measure at the combine, good enough skater, good offense, plays all situations.

Rangers need center desperately, not the high-end guy. I think they are, you know, that would be the, well, you'd be talking about more of five. I actually wouldn't shock be if they took Vigo Bjork at five, presuming Malhotra is gone. Like I think that's something they have to at least seriously talk about. But if they don't take Bjork, that I think they're definitely taking a center at this pick, be it, be it him, be it Raghowski, be a Dajunay, if he still, if he gets the 20s, get into the 20s.

So they go with Hextall here. All right. And the center train will keep rolling at 27 for the Sabres. They will take Brooks Rikowski, the 6-7 center. The traits are pretty ridiculous. And you have to do a little bit of projecting here. especially where Buffalo's forward course sits going forward, getting someone who, even if he is a bottom six guy, I think that can be extremely valuable for the Sabres. I do like that he chose to go back to the OHL next season, too.

I think that's recognizing where he is in his development and that he needs to score a little bit more at that level, and there's no rush for him to go into college and be like a fourth line guy right away from Michigan State next year. Yeah. All right. Number 28, Scott, that's the Montreal Canadiens. The Montreal Canadiens, I think, are well positioned to take a swing here and operate from a position of strength with where their young group in the NHL is at, where their pool is at. I think they should and will be prioritizing some size moving forward. So I wonder about a Casey Mutritin or a Rite or a Kali or a Simas Ignatavisius here. But I like them to take a big cut here.

And I think the biggest cut you can take here is on Elton Hermanson, the Swedish winger, the most talented player who's still available. here. And I think Elton goes in the 20s at some point here. And one of the only players left in the way that our draft has played out, Elton's one of the only players left who projects to play on a power play and score and produce as the focal point of his game. All right. Number 29, St. Louis, Chris, their third pick of the first round. Yeah. So, I mean, obviously with the way things kind of went, you got Belchets earlier. And then you've got Savanto. And, you know, as I kind of look around, I'm like, gosh, you know, what, where do you, where do you kind of go from here with, with some of those, some of those options? And, you know, I, I'm looking at the D. I'm not seeing a ton that gets, you know, me super excited for them. But I do think one guy that has very consistently been in the back half of a lot of first rounds in terms of, you know, teams that I've talked to is Adam Gollier. And so I do think he is a defenseman. that has the chance to be the next guy outside of the group that we've talked about,

like the Hawkinson's Bliles. Villeneuve is certainly a possibility. I'm not getting the sense he's going to go on the first round. And I just think that for them having gotten a couple of guys here, Gollier is a good solid option for them. I think he fits the mold of the kind of style that they play. And I think he fits there. Okay, 30. Corey, Calgary.

Calgary is going to break a lot of hearts here and a lot of people who had some storybook ending type of scenarios. And they are taking Marcus Ruck. And they are going to snag him from the flyers taking him with their second pick. And they add a high-ed skill, high-end playmaker from out west there in Canada to their prospect pool. The irony of this is Calgary is one of the teams that has the capital because they have those two picks early in the second round. that if they were able to get Liam to fall to them, Calgary could get both. Yeah. I think they're the team that everybody kind of circles.

If they want to do this, they could, they're the most likely to do it. I do wonder if the word back injury has entered into the conversation here and whether teams are concerned about that with Marcus. Like he's a kid who maybe more than any other player in this draft needs to get into the gym and spend a full summer in the gym and he might be losing that this summer to this sort back thing that he's dealing with. I'm sure teams will do their due diligence on the severity and that kind of a thing. But it's been these these back injuries have been a constant talking point with several prospects over the last few years. And it sounds like he's dealing with at least

something there. So that's my one wonder with Marcus. Yeah. All right. 31, the Carolina hurricanes. I actually wonder what the odds are that Carolina trades out of this pick. I feel like the one of a second or four. Yeah. or they do have a fourth, but it's not their own. Feels like that's where Carolina's going to go with this, but I don't know if that's the spirit of this. And they have like three seconds and a fourth. Yeah, exactly.

I'll take Mathis pressed in there for Carolina. A lot of speed, a lot of skill. Feels like the kind of guy Carolina has picked in the past. And 32 to bring us home, Scott. And at 32, I'm convinced that Sokolowski goes in the first round, and so I'm not going to let him get out of the first round in our mock. he's also a player frankly that is kind of the type that Ottawa has selected they've gone after the big athletic physical specimens in the past. Is he not like an allison clone essentially?

I think he's a much better prospect than Gabriel is. Like I just think from the pure size, strength, physical profile mobility standpoint, having his wits about him in a way that Gabriel Eliasson, I don't think has his wits about him. I think he's a better. I think he's a better prospect. I think he's better, too. I don't know if he's like dramatically different though. Like Gabe's still 6.6. He skates well.

He's mean. I don't, he's far better on his set. Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. I don't think Gabe ever plays a game in the NHL. Like I'm completely out on Eliasson. That's perfectly fair.

Yeah, I get it. I'm just making a argument there that I like it. I feel like I feel, I feel you could draw a line between the two of them and say like this is a kind of. We have this already, and they've signed Elias that already, right? They have second round pick. Even going back, like, they pick Ben Roger. And like, there's been a lot of that type with very mixed results, obviously, that they've gone after.

I wonder about Mutron and Ryder Callie and those types here for them as well. Yep. Yep. I want to see one of those, like, college football recruiting graphics with, like, Scott's face. And it's just like all caps out on game, totally out on Gabe Elias. Yeah, those are the two names, Callie and Mutron, who I've heard that I think are going to go day one, that we didn't get into that we didn't get in here. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Those are the ones that I've heard more about. Yeah, I definitely think Mutron was another guy that came out. Like, I mean, it's just tough. This, this class is so tough. And I think really predicting the bottom half of this first round, it is every single year. It is difficult to predict. and it really only takes one team to go completely different here.

But, you know, this year in particular, the gap just, I think the gap begins sooner in the first round, you know, relative to what things look like in the second round. You can probably give me 40, 50 names here. And I'd be like, yeah, sure. I mean, like, why not? Like, it's very possible that they go in there. And, yeah, I mean, hey, that's the joy of this portion of the draft. And odds are, once you're picking in this latter, last.

latter third of the first round, you're just hoping you get a guy. I'm just going to read off the last 12 picks here. I don't think anyone needs me to read 32 names in a row to close the show. But just from 21 on, Philly with Liam Ruck, Pittsburgh at 22 with Gleb Pugachev, 23, the Bruins, William Hawkinson, 24, the Canucks, Adam Novotny, 25, the Cracken, Tommy Blyle. At 26, it's Jack Hextall to the Rangers, 27, Brooks Rogowski to the Sabres. 28, the Canadians take Elton Hermanson, 29, the Blues, Adam Gollier, 30, the flames, Marcus Ruck.

31, the Hurricanes, Mathis Preston, but really they're trading out of it. And 32, the Ottawa Senators, Maxim Sokolovsky. That is our 2026, the athletic hockey show mock draft. Any takeaways, guys, as I just read all that off, anyone who you're shocked to see not go in the first round, Corey? I think one thing that definitely stands out to me is despite this beginning. the draft of the defenseman. That second half of the draft, until we got to Sokolowski right at the end.

Like there was a lot of forwards going in that second half. You know, talking to scouts, I do wonder if one or two of the defensemen sneak in there, does Yaccavana-Chic, does Samuel Al-Lowary sneak in there maybe? Pepperine. And does Villene. Pippering. And Villeneuve.

I think that's one thing that I think about there. That was the first thing. I think both rucks going in the first would be interesting. I don't think it's impossible, but, okay, impossible is not a word impossible. But it's not how I think it's probably going to go. Those are the main things that stood out to me. I think we've kind of, I think the listeners are just happy. We talked about some guys who aren't the top ten guys for an episode.

I feel like people are probably getting sick of us just mentioning the same seven names over and over again. But in our defense, you listen the most when we do those names. So that's how. it works. I wonder how many listens we'd get on a breaking down the last half of the first round HL draft. People, you know,

we always get those messages. Like, why don't you do the third round stuff? Because like, because then we would all get fired. Yeah. If we kept doing those kind of. But we love,

we do love you, you, you sickos out there. We love you. Thank you for keeping us void. The real heads. And you can read, you can read the athletic for all of the third round analysis. And please,

there's so much good stuff on the side. Yeah, we have, we have, Scott and I have Sky Reports and all the mid-round guys kind of thing but we just can't vote an hour to talking about that because

I mean you can even do it one better why don't you scout them yourself on Flohockey half of them are they're all done I literally wrote features on Vladimir Dravecki and Adam Valentinio this year so nobody can I love listening to like NFL draft content

and listening to podcasts and stuff like that and like when they release like a best offensive line ranking I like that's the easiest skip for me in the world type of thing Or like, best second round candidates just, like, go right past that one. Like, it's just not interesting. Yeah, here in Detroit, I read those best offensive line rankings.

Just saying, I do like Chris's just scout them yourself philosophy. Why do you need us? Let's make that the slogan of the show, the Athletic Hockey Show prospect series. Just scout them yourself. Well, hopefully people don't take that too far. Yeah, we are worried in the age of AI. What do we get the AI scouts kind of thing. Yeah.

I do think I do have like Oh no I have massated debates I'll talk to NHL people Who'd be like Oh AI can never do my job Your job is just figure out

Whether a guy's a good skater Or not whether he creates scoring chances It's not that complicated I feel like it If you know Alienated every single Yeah could you please Everybody edit the podcast

No Don't worry I do Have you read the comments in my articles Everyone hates me So you know Just the more the merrier right now AI is definitely gonna be doing my job. I'll tell you that much. That is going to

And I do, I do, just so you know, Corey, I do read the comments on all of your stories. I love it. Lovely. The one today, probably was probably lovely. I thought they were actually pretty measured today, to be honest. That's good to know. It's only 1 p.m.

It's only 1 p.m. All 7 round mock will be fun. We're going off the rails. Let's wrap there. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Athletic Hockey Show Prospect series. Remember you can catch more of Chris over at Flow Hockey. You got on his podcast called up. Morris Scott and Corey on the athletic, or of course, you can just scout them yourself. We'll talk to you soon.